Leake’s Dallas auction features 100 vehicles at no reserve

A 1969 Ford Shelby GT500 is one of the featured no-reserve offerings | Leake Auctions photos

The Texas sale is the 2018 finale for the Oklahoma company acquired this year by heavy-equipment auctioneering giant Ritchie Bros.

Of the more than 400 collector cars, trucks and motorcycles set to be auctioned by Leake on November 15-17 in Dallas, about 100 of them will cross the block at no reserve, providing a range of opportunities for bidders hoping to snag a fun classic from the diverse selection.

Among the highlights of the no-reserve offerings are a 1969 Ford Shelby GT500 fastback equipped with a 428cid Cobra Jet V8 and 4-speed manual transmission, a pristine 1965 Chevrolet Corvette L84 327/375-horsepower convertible, and a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible with a fuel-injected V8.

The ’57 Chevy Bel Air convertible has a fuel-injected V8

Leake’s final auction for 2018 figures to be a crowd-pleasing three-day sale boasting a popular lineup of classics, muscle cars, ’50s cruisers, customs, Broncos, Corvettes and Hemis, headlined by a number of American performance icons.

Early this year, the auction company was acquired by Ritchie Bros., a global auctioneer of heavy construction and agricultural equipment, which should provide Leake with strong growth possibilities. Former owner Richard Sevenoaks remains on board as general manager of Leake.

“Our November Dallas auction is consistently strong, and as the line-up has continued to evolve over the past several weeks, we anticipate a strong sale to close out 2018,” Sevenoaks said in a news release. “Now that we are integrated with Ritchie Bros., we have opened the door to 3.3 million online registered bidders in 155 countries. This expands our reach and positions us to have the largest bidder base in the collector car industry.”

The 1968 Corvette L88 is one of just 30 produced

Former Barrett-Jackson executive Gary Bennett was hired in May as collector car general manager for Ritchie Bros. Bennett, who notes that he started in the auction business with Leake founder James Sevenoaks, brings a wide breadth of experience and personal contacts to the company

Bennett spoke about one of the overall highlights of the Dallas sale, a 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88, one of just 80 built, featuring its original 427/430hp engine, M22 Rock Crusher 4-speed and 3.70 rear end. The Corvette has its original factory build sheet still glued to its gas tank.

“The L88s have been in demand over the last couple of decades, domestically and internationally,” Bennett said. “This particular car is special because it is a documented three-owner car, with the tank sticker still in place, and under 25,000 documented miles.

A 1969 Plymouth Road Runner convertible is a featured lot

“It has been repainted to its original color and is being offered now in its original color combination of white/red interior. We are very excited and proud to offer this special 1968 L88 coupe.”

Other featured cars at the auction, which will be held at Dallas Market Hall, include a 1962 Chevrolet Corvette FI, a 2005 Ford GT, a 1948 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet, a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner convertible, a 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible and a 1960 Mercedes-Benz 190SL convertible.